US Defense Secretary discusses bilateral partnership, peace process with Afghanistan president

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reaffirmed mutual commitment to a strong partnership between the United States and Afghanistan and the importance of making urgent progress on the Afghan peace process during a call on Friday (local time) with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

According to a statement by the Pentagon, the Defense Secretary and Ghani "discussed the shared sacrifices of the US and Afghanistan forces and collective gains made over the last 19 years."

President Ghani and Secretary Austin also discussed the Afghan peace process and the imperative for a negotiated settlement to end the war.

"Both sides emphasised the importance of seizing this opportunity for peace," the statement said.

Taking to Twitter to post about his call with President Ghani, Austin said that he looked forward to a productive partnership."I had a great call today with President @AshrafGhani this morning. We discussed our mutual commitment to a strong U.S.-Afghan partnership and the importance of making urgent progress on the Afghan peace process. Looking forward to a productive partnership," he tweeted.

The intra-Afghan peace negotiations began in the Qatari capital of Doha on September 12. The talks were overshadowed by a series of disagreements and a surge in violence, including armed clashes and bomb blasts across the country.